Law of Suspects

The Law of Suspects was a decree passed by the Committee of Public Safety on 17 September 1793 during the French Revolution. The law stated that nobles, relatives of emigres, officials removed from office, officers suspected of treason, and hoarders of goods would have to prove themselves innocent in front of a court. People could be arrested on the mere suspicion that they were "counter-revolutionaries", and many of them were guillotined during the Reign of Terror. Around 500,000 people were accused of being counter-revolutionaries, and between 17,000 and 40,000 people were executed as a result of the law.